A new group has vowed to “forget politics”, look beyond their own back yards and form a People’s Plan for the future of Epping Forest.

Last night (October 17), about 30 people met under the banner of Save Epping Forest in response to the Epping Forest District Council draft Local Plan.

The plan - including proposals for 11,400 new homes and the loss of 200 hectares of green belt land - has been widely criticised around the district, with complaints including the loss of parking and green spaces, the potential strain on doctors and schools and the impact on town centres.

Meeting at The Space in Loughton library, Traps Hill, the residents set out to stay “one step ahead” of the district council.

Members agreed to draw up a 10 point People’s Plan, responding to key issues in the Local Plan rather than focussing on individual towns or villages.

They also agreed to draft letters addressing key concerns, such as the amount of affordable housing or the loss of village greens.

One town councillor, the Loughton Resident Association’s Stephen Pewsey, even urged people to not fill in the upcoming official consultation on the plan and use other methods to drive home widespread dissatisfaction.

He said: “Do not fill it in, it’s slanted to what they want to hear… they’ll also take into account letters, emails… we want it to be complicated for them because we want them to know how much we disagree with these proposals.”

The meeting was arranged by Nick Robinson from The Space and campaigner Paul Morris, who said people should have more of a say on what happens to the district.

Mr Morris said: “I think now is about time where everybody starts pooling together and looking at this plan as a district rather than individuals… it is about us as a collective.”

He added: “It can be done.

“What it boils down to is we have got to forget politics, forget any personal issues or anything else.

“It’s about us working as a district for the best of the district.”

The group plans to use popular Facebook pages to ask people’s concerns and feed them back to the district council.

Mr Morris also said the group would put specific issues to local councillors and hold them to account using social media, “naming and shaming” those who do not respond.

One worry for many people was the potential for car parks to be built on, and the effect it could have on town centres.

Geoff Boughton, 73, of Colson Road, Loughton, said: “This is going to destroy what’s already a hard game for them.

“There’s a lot of shops going empty.

“I’m not a shopkeeper but I feel for them… they are going to have a dead town.”

Many people at the meeting, mainly from Loughton and Epping, said the plans must ensure housing for people from the district first.

Dave Plummer from Epping Forest Transport Action Group said: “We could have a bunch of estates full of houses that everybody round here can’t live in but people moving out of London could afford… how much social housing is planned?

“We need employment here and places for the people employed here to live.”